Throughout the month of February, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and the rest of the nation celebrates Black History Month. During this month, we commemorate the significant accomplishments and achievements of African-Americans as well as their important role in U.S. history and the impact on public health in our state.
February also marks American Heart Month. African-Americans are often disproportionately affected by heart disease and its related risk factors, including inequitable access to medication, preventive services, and engagement in fitness and wellness activities.
Though heart disease-related deaths are on the decline, research shows that African-American adults continue to experience disparate higher death rates. For example, in 2019 African-American adults had a 30% greater likelihood of dying of heart disease than White adults.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health emphasizes the importance of celebrating both American Heart Month and Black History Month by emphasizing the need for preventative care and care management to address health disparities in Black communities.
The ADHS Office of Health Equity is committed to the advancement of health equity for all Arizonans by highlighting resources for communities disproportionately impacted by heart disease:
ADHS is dedicated to promoting the health and wellness of all Arizonans and is working to address health disparities through data, collaboration, and public health programming.
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Chavon Woods is an Arizona Native with 18 years of public service, primarily in public health. She currently serves as the Health Equity Administrator for the Office of Health Equity at ADHS where she supports initiatives across the agency to strengthen the internal capacity to operationalize health equity best practices. She also supports her team on several federal grant initiatives including vaccine equity, COVID-19 testing, public health infrastructure, school health, health disparities and AZ Proposition 207 Justice Reinvestment, marijuana expungement, education, and outreach. Prior to her role with the ADHS, Ms. Woods served 13 years at the Maricopa County Department of Public Health in several capacities. Ms. Woods holds a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in government policy from Grand Canyon University.